Sharon Den Adel: “I Would Never Be In My Underwear For A Photoshoot”

We speak to Within Temptation about Hydra, the pressures of getting bigger and bigger with each album and why Sharon will never be “pushed” to strip off for the cameras in our new issue!

“No, and especially not from the labels,” is the singer’s no-nonsense reply to the question of whether she feels under pressure to follow in the steps of some of her more provocative peers. “We always had a very clear vision of how we wanted to present ourselves, and all our labels after the first one were big record companies and understood that we had our own vision and probably the best knowledge of things. I’d never be in my underwear for any kind of photoshoot. I just can’t imagine it!

“We never needed to and were never asked, but it’d also cross a certain border for me personally. I think sometimes it;’s [the girl’s] own choice, maybe they’re pushed to do that, I hope not. But I think I have been more of a role model in the sense that women found a way to introduce heavy music that suited their personalities. A lot of people would say to us, ‘Finally, I can bring my girlfriend to a show!’ because we were a band that girls could like and identify with.”

Read more from Sharon – along with exclusive interviews with the likes of Slayer, Machine Head, While She Sleeps, Mastodon, Opeth and many more – in our new issue, out now!

Hydra will land on February 3 via Dramatico. Catch the band at the following UK dates: